The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-08
CITY CROOKS.
HOW NEW YORK'S CRIMINALS
ARE KEPT MOVING.
The Detective and the Chief of the
Bunko Mcn-The Lady" in
Macy's-A Visit to
Wall Street.

It is cne of the boasts of the New
| York detectives that they are personally
acquainted with all the professional
| criminals in and near town. The results
| of this acquaintance are often peculiar.
You are talking with Detective Prior a
few feet from the door of the Fifth Ave
nue. Hotel, and he sees young dandy
halt few feet away.
"Bctter keep right on" he says to the
dandy; 'hurry up, now"
"Oh, good morning." says the dandy.
~ am only going to set my watch"
That is Kid Miller, chief of the bunko
men, and the detective will not allow
him to stop in front of the hotel. You
arc pushing your: way into Macy's shop
ping store, and little ladylike body is
Just ahead of you. Suddenly some one
steps up to her and roughly orders her to
"Get out at once"
"Certainly, sir" she says, very meekly.
'I was only going to match piece OF
silk"
She lies. She is shoplifter, and the
man who ordered her out is detective.
Perhaps you are at the Arion ball with
its 5000 dancers and lookers-on. You
walk in the lobby near the entrance for a
breath of air, and meet Captain Williams
in full uniform. alert and handsome as an
eagle. He darts from your side and
stands in front of a stout, elderly gentle
man so as to oppose his progress.
What do you mean by coming here?'
The man answers boldly: "My wife is
here and have come to take her home. "
"That'll do now," says the Captain; ;
s4there's the door; get!" And as Arte-
mus Ward used to say, che gets" The
man is a pickpocket.
A neatly-dressed, rather substantial
looking man of middle age sends in his
card to Inspector Byrnes at Police Head
quarters. The name on the card is that
of burglar better known by An alias,
say 4;Red Leary," for instance. j
''Well, what do you want?" Mr.. Byrnes
asks, gruffiy. He has an especial tone for
men of that class, and it is Il tone that
forbids familiarity and suggests mastery
"a very different tone from the quiet
and easy one for his friends.
Il would like to be in Wall street fol-
fifteen minutes tomorrow, Inspector, "
SAYS the burglar. 81 want to see about
a personal matter"
II will have one of my corps meet you
at Broad and Wall at noon, sharp" says
Byrnes.
The burglar thanked the official, for it
is q favor to such a man to be allowed to
90 to the money center with detective
at his shoulder all the time he is there.
To 90 without this permission and escort
means certainty of being arrested and
locked up. The only known crooks that
get into Wall street under Byrnes are
men in business there whose offenses he
cannot punish; the only others are the
employees who default now and then.
This is not the only part of town that
shady characters are excluded from. 1t
has always been favorite method with
Captain Williams to say to rascals OF
various sorts: eff you ever put your
foot in my precinct I'll send you up"
This may not be according to law, but
it's according to fact, and they give that
precinct wide berth. Pickpockets like
the Allen brothers, who are well known,
have hard time of it in New York Nc
matter how much they want to see play
or ball game, or attend meeting, thers
is apt to be some one to stop them at the
entrance with ''right-about face, now.
You can't get in here" I have seen a
pickpocket hustled along like bit oi
down in the wind from one block to an.
other, while apparently an innocent spec
tator of street parade. Louis Re-
s,,lLlinna,